EAST Renfrewshire will play a key role in cleaning up the River Clyde through a new campaign supported by the Barrhead News.

Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful has recruited community groups from across the Clyde Valley to help implement its ambitious Upstream Battle campaign, which is running in partnership with RECOUP to tackle litter levels along the entire length of the river.

Neilston Development Trust is one of 16 ‘anchor groups’ selected to support the campaign.

The trust will adopt a site along the river or one of its tributaries, and monitor litter levels, raising awareness of the part that land-based litter plays in ocean litter accumulation and helping to find long-term solutions.

Through Scottish Government funding, Keep Scotland Beautiful will be providing free specialist training to every group, arming it with the skills to undertake an in-depth litter survey, exploring the behaviours that create litter and build understanding on how to create their own local litter reduction project. 

Derek Robertson, chief executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “In order to effectively tackle marine litter, we have to fully understand the amount of litter congregating, the amount circulating and how it is entering our watercourses.

“We welcome the support from communities all along the Clyde for Upstream Battle and the support that these groups will provide.”

Further information can be found at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/upstreambattle